Man on drug charge had cannabis on him at court

A MAN has been accused of possessing cannabis when he turned up to court to face a drug charge.

But Daniel Paul Ashcroft told Wigan and Leigh Magistrates that he had now “learned his lesson” over the perils of substance misuse.

The 22-year-old was remanded on conditional bail until June 28 when he will appear at Liverpool Crown Court for breaching a current suspended prison sentence for burglary.

Earlier Ashcroft had admitted possessing a controlled substance.

Mike Ardern, prosecuting, said after police received information they, searched Ashcroft’s home in Bracken Road, Leigh while he was out.

They found two snap bags containing a block of cannabis resin and skunk cannabis leaf worth £40.

Ashcroft returned while the search was still in progress and told police that the drugs belonged to him and were for his personal use.

Mr Ardern said that while the offence was “not the most serious” in terms of drugs finds, Ashcroft had been remanded in custody since his arrest because of his long history of almost 50 offences.

He had been given a 50-week prison sentence suspended for 18 months in February 2012 for domestic burglary.

And another earlier drugs possession offence had put him in breach of the order and that had resulted in a nine months long extension of the order.

Ashcroft appeared at Knowsley Magistrates’ Court to face a further possession of cannabis charge on May 3 - when he was also found to be allegedly in possession of a further quantity of cannabis as he entered the building.

He remains on bail for that offence until June 28.

Glen Ridley, defending, said that Ashcroft should be sentenced by a Crown Court judge.

He said that Ashcroft’s offending rate had “slowed considerably” after the suspended prison sentence was imposed. And he was making good progress in following the strictures of a probation order.

The solicitor said that the cannabis found at Ashcroft’s home was for personal use only and he didn’t supply or deal in drugs.

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